# Prey animals turning the tables on predators? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558 "2007-02-09T22:58:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/1 "2007-02-09T22:58:06Z")
How often do lions, tigers, and other predators get injured or killed by their prey? The one prey animal that came to my mind first was the cape buffalo. It certainly seems powerful enough to take out a lion! But does that happen with any degree of regularity? What about wildebeest or zebra? It seems like their first response is always “Run!”, but do they ever fight back effectively? Any info would be appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/2 "2007-02-09T23:20:43Z")
Lions are regularly injured and even killed by their larger prey animals, Cape Buffalo being especially dangerous. Zebra too could probably do some damage with their hooves. Wildebeest are not as strong, and would have a tougher time of it. [Here’s](http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0609/feature4/index.html) an article mentioning Cape Buffalo killing lions. [Here’s](http://www.on-the-matrix.com/africa/buffalo.asp) another. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/3 "2007-02-09T23:53:37Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] Zebra too could probably do some damage with their hooves. [/QUOTE] Yep. I’ve seen a photo ( probably in an old National Geographic ) of a lion with its jaw hanging shattered after taking a zebra kick in the mouth. Such an injury pretty much guarantees a slow, agonizing death by starvation. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/4 "2007-02-10T00:22:54Z")
All cornered or wounded animals will fight back. Zebra have nasty dispositions anyway and will kick and bite without provocation. They routinely kill wildcats. Hippos and crocodiles are regular combatants. Always a toss-up. Horned oryx can spook most preditors becaus of their long saber horns. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/5 "2007-02-10T00:27:36Z")
I don’t know if octopi are considered pray animals, but here’s a video of one [kicking a shark’s ass](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZx0CTq7Iks). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/6 "2007-02-10T01:12:23Z")
In horses, a herd of brood mares with foals, when threatened, will herd the foals into the center of a circle of mares, all facing inward, with their hind ends to the outside, ready to kick the perceived threat. I have seen this occur, when the ‘threat’ was a young, untrained stallion who accidentally got into the mare pasture. I was astonished to see some of the gentle old broodmares I worked with every day become so mean and angry! By the time we ‘rescued’ this young stallion, he had received much training in where his place was. His injuries were minor, but I saw several mares seem to pull their punches; had it been a strange horse or some predator, they could easily have disabled the threat. I’ve also seen horses take after a vicious dog in the pasture; it was lucky to escape with only a broken leg. They were clearly trying to trample it into the ground. In the wild, I imagine a herd of horses could deal with a single wolf or coyote readily, it’s only a pack that would be a threat to them. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/7 "2007-02-10T01:21:14Z")
I remember once reading about how the risk a predator takes while hunting, grows with the size of both predator and prey. It made the comparison of the lion-wildebeest vs. wasps-spiders, where wasps take almost zero risk hunting the spider. Can anyone elaborate on this? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/8 "2007-02-10T01:21:53Z")
I’ve heard of moose trampling wolves to death. It’s completely understandable - moose are ridiculously huge. I wouldn’t want to piss one off. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/9 "2007-02-10T01:25:56Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] I don’t know if octopi are considered pray animals, but here’s a video of one [kicking a shark’s ass](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZx0CTq7Iks). [/QUOTE] I’d say the predator won that one. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/10 "2007-02-10T01:32:20Z")
I remember seeing a wildlife show where some sort of antelope gored a cheeta. The Cheeta died shortly after. Also saw the same picture as **Tamerlane**. The article went on to say that a wounded or sick lion got no help from the rest of the pride. It seems that this makes them uncomfortable (or something) and they shun or drive off the injured animal. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/11 "2007-02-10T01:37:50Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] I remember once reading about how the risk a predator takes while hunting, grows with the size of both predator and prey. It made the comparison of the lion-wildebeest vs. wasps-spiders, where wasps take almost zero risk hunting the spider. Can anyone elaborate on this? [/QUOTE] A wasp would have the added advantage of being airborne while most spiders are doing pretty good if they learn how to jump (that said, if you put me up against a man sized spider, and give me an effective means of flight? My airborne fat ass is gonna be heading towards the next county post-haste cause, comon, GIANT FREAKING SPIDER! :eek: ) I’d kinda like to see stats on Lion vs. Wildebeest compared to Ferret vs. Rabbit or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/12 "2007-02-10T02:01:11Z")
My neighbor told me of running short on those cheap mice you feed to your boa constrictors, and being in a jam, bought a small shrew and tossed it in. Next morning there was the famished shrew eagerly awaiting its next boa. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/13 "2007-02-10T05:16:30Z")
How about Rabbit vs. Snake? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/14 "2007-02-10T05:23:03Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] How about Rabbit vs. Snake? [/QUOTE] You. You win the internet. Here, take it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@Evil\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Joe)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/15 "2007-02-10T05:40:08Z")
[QUOTE=SandyHook] I remember seeing a wildlife show where some sort of antelope gored a cheeta. The Cheeta died shortly after. Also saw the same picture as **Tamerlane**. The article went on to say that a wounded or sick lion got no help from the rest of the pride. It seems that this makes them uncomfortable (or something) and they shun or drive off the injured animal. [/QUOTE] I saw a documentary where a lioness received some type of fairly serious injury and it became badly infected. Like you said they would growl and chase off the injured lioness when she tried to join the pride. Eventually she ended up collapsing in great pain in a pond, squirmed for a few DAYS then died. Nature is so cruel!! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@Evil\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Joe)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/16 "2007-02-10T05:42:31Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] My neighbor told me of running short on those cheap mice you feed to your boa constrictors, and being in a jam, bought a small shrew and tossed it in. Next morning there was the famished shrew eagerly awaiting its next boa. [/QUOTE] :smack: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/17 "2007-02-10T06:04:22Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] Next morning there was the famished shrew eagerly awaiting its next boa. [/QUOTE] You even run a risk with those cheap mice. Saw a nature show in which an elk (not to be confused with Ann Elk, the noted authority on the brontosaurus) was being harrassed by wolves. After he tossed one LITERALLY a good 25 feet the others showed it some more respect. Those antlers aren’t just for looks at rutting time. Speaking of dinosaurs, there are fossils in which a predator and its prey are apparently locked in a struggle which neither won. There has been an arms race between the two sides pretty much forever. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/18 "2007-02-10T07:56:03Z")
Even critters that are “known” to be docile can be dangerous when the need arises. I watched a video, onme time, of a mama sheep just beating the hell out of a wolf trying to grab her lamb. The wolf got the lamb in one pass, but the lamb’s weight (and deep snow) slowed him down to the point where the ewe just ran him over. He released the lamb and the ewe just stood there and beat him until he fled. While it never got that bad, Deb had a solitary sheep (for wool) that would routinely attack any dog that came into our yard. Sheep run because as a survival strategy, having the whole herd run together makes it confusing for predators to try to cut one out of the herd (and the ones cut out result in a culling process of eliminating the slower beasts). However, when away from the herd, sheep are actually pretty defiant and their very hard, very solid skulls (with rather little of brain to be damaged) make excellent bludgeon type weapons. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/19 "2007-02-11T03:47:55Z")
Thanks for all the replies! ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558/20 "2007-02-11T12:06:52Z")
Giraffes are regularly taken by lions, but one kick from a giraffe can easily kill a lion, I saw a tv show about trying to capture some giraffe to relocate them, where the holding stockade was clobbered by a giraffe hoof, putting dints into the logs a few inches deep. According to the handlers, that kick has decapitated unwary lions. Wild boar are regularly hunted by, well pretty much any predator, but they are very capable of killing a lion, or anything smaller. I’ve seen a video clip where a lion makes a beeline for a piglet, and get hit in its side by three wild boar, one moment the lion is moving forward at high ambush speed, in an instant it is suddenly moving sideways, propelled by the pigs. That lion was lucky and ended up with a broken tail, the boars tusks just glided over the lions belly as it was rolled sideways a few times, but it might easily have been eviscerated, it was that lions lucky day - sort of. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prey-animals-turning-the-tables-on-predators/391558.md?page=2)